I recently heard a teaching on this passage found in Galatians chapter 4 asking the question, “Who is your mother?” We know that Abraham is our father, but our ‘mother’ is determined by whether we accept the free gift of grace or walk after the law, trying to earn our righteousness.

^21-31 Tell me now, you who have become so enamored with the law: Have you paid close attention to that law? Abraham, remember, had two sons: one by the slave woman and one by the free woman. The son of the slave woman was born by human connivance; the son of the free woman was born by God’s promise. This illustrates the very thing we are dealing with now. The two births represent two ways of being in relationship with God. One is from Mount Sinai in Arabia. It corresponds with what is now going on in Jerusalem—a slave life, producing slaves as offspring. This is the way of Hagar. In contrast to that, there is an invisible Jerusalem, a free Jerusalem, and she is our mother—this is the way of Sarah. Remember what Isaiah wrote:

Isn’t it clear, friends, that you, like Isaac, are children of promise? In the days of Hagar and Sarah, the child who came from faithless connivance (Ishmael) harassed the child who came—empowered by the Spirit—from the faithful promise (Isaac). Isn’t it clear that the harassment you are now experiencing from the Jerusalem heretics follows that old pattern? There is a Scripture that tells us what to do: “Expel the slave mother with her son, for the slave son will not inherit with the free son.” Isn’t that conclusive? We are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.

As I was discussing this with someone yesterday, I realized that the religious teaching I grew up with that taught I must be good to get good was incredibly wrong. This righteousness that I tried to earn was a gift and I could not earn a gift.  Every time I would mess up, I felt I had to be ‘saved’ all over again. It was a constant battle to earn my right to be a child of God. I even imposed this teaching on my children, “You must keep the rules or you’ll bring a curse on your life.” I realize now that I was teaching them that Gods love was conditional and it is not.  It’s no more conditional than my love for them. Whether they are good or bad, they are still my children and I love them.  Good or bad they are still heirs to everything I own. 

I’m thankful that Jesus reconnected me to the free gift of Gods grace and favor. I’m thankful for the truth of His Word that sets me free from the law of sin and death. My mother is the free woman, Sarah, who even though she tried to ‘fix’ a problem by giving Abraham her handmaiden, Hagar, God gave her a son who inherited the promise.  What a gift! God always keeps his promises, even when we mess up.

Your love is amazing, Father! You freely give it to me so that I can freely give it to others. It’s that love that changed me from who I was to what I am. I didn’t have to clean up, you took me as I was and it’s your love that changes those around me.  There was only one condition to receiving and that was believing.  Acts 16:31 says; “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved and your house.”  There it is! It’s not just for you but for your household as well.  It’s the gift that keeps on giving and it’s free, anyone can have it.  I love that about you, Father.  I won’t hoard this gift but freely give it away.